Healthy Cornbread

I love cornbread, especially during this time of the year. However, most cornbread recipes have little nutritional value and are packed with sugar[1]. So I set about to create a healthy recipe for corn bread with less sugar and more nutritional ingredients. This is a tall order when looking for something that is also moist and sweet, like a cornbread should be. After a few failed attempts, I created this recipe; give it a try and tell me what you think!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add milk, honey, and yogurt into the sauce pan. Heat through until combined[6]. Set aside to cool slightly.
While the butter is melting, whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
In a separate bowl whisk eggs and vanilla until well combined.
Slowly drizzle the melted, wet ingredients into the egg mixture. Mix just until well combined.[7]
Remove from the stand mixer, if using one, and gently fold the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Do not over mix.
Finally, carefully fold in the sweet corn.
The mixture should look wet. The whole wheat flour, bran, and flax will soak up the moisture and leave a pleasantly moist bread.
Pour into a 9×13 and bake for about ½ hour; just until the sides of the bread are brown and the center is set[8].
Remove from the oven and enjoy warm or cold with a drizzle of honey on top!

[1] Some recipes I’ve seen have more than 1 cup of sugar for a 9×13 size; This is the same amount in most white cake recipes!

[4] Using pure vanilla extract will contribute a sweetness that imitation vanilla will not accomplish. I use imitation vanilla in a lot of recipes when the purpose of the ingredient is only to cover up the flavor of flour and leavening agents. However, when not using as much sugar, it is important to get the sweetness from natural ingredients. If all you have is imitation extract, you may want to add more sugar or honey based on your likeness.

[5] Using sweet corn is important as regular corn will not help sweeten the bread. I’m lucky enough to live in a part of the country where I can get great sweet corn during the summer and freeze it in 2 cup packages. If using regular corn, you may want to add a little more sugar or honey to your likeness.